Closure



Feb. 15, 1944. A. woLco'rT 2,342,095

' CLOSURE Filed 001:. 5, 1940 .52 I INVENTOR, f/erar/ fl a/aoff. 7

I AT T OHNE Y- Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE CLOSURE V Herbert Wolcott, Columbia, Mo.

Application October 5, 1940, Serial No. 359,886

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements closures and has particular'reference to hand operated closures for water-softener tanks and the like and has for its principa1 object the provision of a closure that is efiicient and can be easily closed and opened by hand and without the aid of tools.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a closure having a closure cover having means whereby it is tilted to break the seal as the securing bar is moved to the releasing position.

Another object is the provision of a closure having a cup shaped cover member with securing means whereby the cover member is contacted at its center portion below the plane of the sealing joint.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a closure wherein all the movable parts thereof are demountably connected to.- gether.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, ease and efiiciency of operation, and adaptability for use with various types of containers. 7

Reference will now be had to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a closure embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the closure.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the closure with the securing cam arm in the extended position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section showing the closure partially opened in solid lines, and showing the cover member partially raised from its seat.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of the cover member.

Like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and the numeral l8 designates a tank having an inlet ring [2 welded or otherwise secured to the upper portion thereof. Ring i2 is externally threaded at I4 to receive the internal threads l6 of the closure body member l8 having a central opening 20 through which materials may be delivered to and from the tank. The upper edge 22 of the body member about opening 28 is preferably circular and in a horizontal plane to present a smooth seating surface for sealing the closure as hereinafter set forth. v

The body member I8 has two pairs of outwardly projecting arms 24, said pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the body and each arm being provided with an inturned cylindrical trunnion 26. Trunnions 26 on adjacent arms are in axial alignment and are in spaced apart relation to each other and to the body of the memher 3.

A cup-shaped cover member 28 is provided with an annular flange 38 having a down-turned groove 32 adapted to receive the upper edge portion or seat 22 of body member l8 with suitable gaskets 34 disposed therebetween to form an air tight seal. I

A cross bar 36 is provided at its one end with spaced apart recesses 38 adapted to respectively receive the trunnions 26 at one side of body member l8 for pivoting thereon. .It is apparent that by properly positioning bar 36, the rib 48 dividing the recesses 38 can be inserted between the spaced apart trunnions 28, and as the bar is moved to the position across the cover member 28 the trunnions will rest in the bearings 42 formed in the end portion of the bar member, and cannot be released therefrom until the bar is again moved to the position of insertion. The free end of the bar 36 is positioned beyond the periphery of cover member 28 and is provided with a depression 44.

A depending lug 46 is provided at the center portion of bar 36, and has a ball-shaped end portion 48, adapted to contact the cover member 28 at its center point, below the gasket 34 to force the cover member 28 toward the body member I8 to compress gasket 34. v

It has been found convenient to use the ordinary fruit jar rubber gaskets in this closure. These gaskets are of a suitable thickness so that if the joint is not sufificientlytight another fruit jar rubber may be added without interfering with p the operation of the closure parts.

When the closure has been secured in the closed position for a period of time it is ofttimes found quite difficult to release the cover member from its sealing position. To overcome this difiiculty and to insure that the cover seal will always be broken when the bar 86 is moved outwardly from its position above the cover member 28 the following gasket loosening means is provided.

A lug 58 positioned at each side of bar 85 adjacent its pivoted end is adapted to move through an are as the bar is moved on trunnions 26. Arcuate tongues 52 integral with cover 28 are positioned with the free ends thereof respectively in the path of travel of lugs whereby when the parts are in the closed position'and the bar 36 is moved to the open position the lugs 58 will contact tongues 52, to move them upwardly thus moving the cover 28 away from seat 22 to break the seal therebetween.

A toggle securing means 54 comprises a link 56 and a cam member 66 serves to maintain the bar 36 in the depressed operative position. The

link 56 has two spaced apart bearing sockets 60 at its one end to engage trunnions 26 for oscillating movement. When in the operating position on the trunnions, the link will be secured against accidental displacement by the body member l8. The inner end of the link will contact the wall of the body member l8 to limit its downward movement. The cross bar 52 of link 56 is adapted to be positioned in the bearing recess 64 of the cam member 66 which engages the depression 44 at the free end of bar 35. A cam lever arm 68 is adapted to be moved to a position substantially parallel with bar 36 to so position the cam relative to the link that the tendency will be to move the lever 68 toward the bar 36 thereby insuring the proper securing of the parts. Cross bar S2 of link 56 is grooved at '10 to receive the boss 12 extending into recess 64 from cam member '66, when those parts are in a certain open position, then as the cam member is rotated on the cross bar the cam member will be secured in the proper operative position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4 it will be noted that the tongues'52 do not contact the bar 35 when ately used without the necessity of any :machining, thereby eliminating much expense. The principal reason that no close fits are'required in the present closure is "because of the structure of the sealing parts just described and the fact that the jar rubber gasket can be easily varied in thickness by adding to or removing from the gasket one or more of the jar rubbers.

It will be noted that when the closure is open the operator has free access to the tank through opening 20.

I What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A closure comprising a tubular body member adapted to be secured for communication with a container and having an annular seat at its outer extremity; a cup-shaped cover member having an annular groove adapted to receive said annular seat with a gasket therebetween when the cupped portion is extended into the opening of said body member below said seat, .a bar releasably pivoted at one side of said body member for movement to and from a position to extend entirely across said cover 'member thereabove and having a depending control lug with a rounded end extending into said cupshaped cover and contacting the bottom thereof below said annular seat; and toggle means releasably pivoted .to the other side of said-body :member, operable to forceand secure said bar against said cover member whereby theigasket said annular .seat with .a gasket therebetween when the cupped portion is extended .into the opening of said body memberbelow said seat, a bar releasably pivoted at one side ofsaidtbody member for movement to and from apposition to extend entirely across said .cover :member thereabove and having a depending control :lug with a rounded end extending into said cup-shaped cover and contacting the bottom thereof below said'annular seat; toggle-means releasably pivoted to the other side of said bodyinemben'op- 'erable to force and secure said bar againstsaid cover member whereby .the gasket between the cover'member and seat is compressed and a lug carried by said bar adapted to engage andtilt said cover member on said seat as said bar is moved from the cover seouringposition.

"HERBERT WOLCO'IT. 

